9 Important Coming Out Stories We Need In Trump’s America

Willow Rosenberg (Alyson Hannigan) in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Image via 20th Century Fox)

9. Willow Rosenberg – Buffy The Vampire Slayer

The character of Willow Rosenberg is a critical one in the queer television movement. It was one of the first shows where we witnessed a woman become empowered by her sexuality instead of shunned. And the fact that her sexuality was now becoming more focused on women made it that much better. During this time in TV (and even now), characters are socially rejected when they come out as gay, lesbian, bisexual, etc. Not Willow. Not in Buffy. We saw her rise within her social environment while at the same time, she also became more comfortable with her sexuality. Her evolution was incredible and her relationship with Tara was important.

When Willow is first introduced on the show, she is a weak girl who’s utterly obsessed with her best friend Xander. But through the seasons, she begins to realize her importance, her strength, and her adoration for Tara. I think it speaks volumes that her rise to power in the Buffyverse coincides with her realization that she may be falling in love with a woman. Her coming out story is the definition of inspirational and it shows that once you learn to accept yourself, great and powerful things can happen to you.